Brake-rigging.



W. H. SAUVAGE.

BRAKE EIGGING'.

APPLICATION FILED 001 .4, 1909.

963,947, Y Patented July 12, 1910. [7; D 1 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m 3:: 1:1: @0 a3 65 Yg 9 a! Att st: Inventor:

' M I. W'M @135.

W. H. SAUVAGE.

BRAKE RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED 0014,1909.

Patented July 12,1910.

3 SHEETBSHEET 2.

Attest:

In ven tor Our/1% A "W. H. SAUVAGE.

' BRAKE RIGGING;

APPLIUATION NLRB 001'. 4. 1909.

963,947, 1 Patented July 12, 1910.

5 H '1 1" f 1" 1' ii m vntor Attys.

"PATENT OFFICE.

\WILLIA-Mitfl. iSAFUVA'GE OF YORK, N. Y.

.,' BBAKEEQRIGGIN-G.

.t-Specificatinmof Lettersratent. Patented July 12, 1910.

.flApplicaltioncfiled':Ootober:4,:H.909. Serial No. 520,861.

To.all:whomisihmay-comem: 4

side it known that I,*MTILLIAM H.- SAUV- mun-ya: citizen :of' the. United States, res-idin g in. the-borough. of ==Manhattan o 1 the city. of

-5 New ".Y'Olk, in' the State .ofNew Yiorkr have invented certain mew .ta-nd useful ImprovetilllQ-lllS :inBrahe-lizigging, ofawl ich-the following is a specification, reference. being ihakl to the accompanying -'drawings,' forming 1a part hereof.

'f'This invention relates to brakerigging int-which the brake I shoes are simultaneously tapp-lied to the leadingandcfollowing wheels 0f a car truck .tllroi-lgh the medium of :a

- .livehlever, at one-end of which the'brake mechanism is connected. and a dead lever, which is fulcrumed ion" the truck frame, the .:li:ve..-a=ud dead. leverswbeing connected-bye :bar; through which the thrust is transmitted L =':fron1 the live dever to-tl1e..dead--lever. .In

'bralte rigging of this-character, so "far-as 'the.application of the present invention is -concerned, the brake shoes may hen-actuated -thuoughibua ke beams tOAV-hIC-h the live and idoacli=le\ e|'stare connected :or the braheibeaans devers, is usually extensible to compensate .ma y be .d-ispenseda with and" the brake shoes actuated directly :by the live and-dead levers. 3 l'l-C'bdl tor-bott=om rod,,:as it is commonly i led, which connects the iive Hand dead lfor -01- --to talic up excessive clearance or slack such is occasioned by the 1 wea r. of ndin. connection .ii'itlra br'aire ztrigg j g wln'th embodies such an ex- 5 ten'sihleihottomrod a. releasespring. is necestsarily employed to .hold the brake shoes @away from the =ar-he'els except when the brakes :,.are applied. finch release spring hha cen 1=ppl1efdheretofore. in various posi- .:1 t-. .(.)11't op of- .thelivc lever wlierezit is :a-iotwea'dily accessible, or, as is most com 'monl-yithc ease, hetweenthe truck ..frame Land'ftheibrake beams. "This latter. applicati on-"of:the 'rele-ase spring or springs, howon-er. is objectionable, particularly because i'tlie considerable-loss of braking power involved in overcoming the resistance .of "the springs. -In .no case, moreover, cana release spring, sov applied, cooperate -satis- .factorily with slack: adjusting devicessuch was::are -hereiuafter described, which it is de- -.si.-ra=laile'i to. employ.

' E'This in vent ion, therefore, has for its. obri-mari ly, to so combine the "release .g- -witlr brake rigging of. the .charaoter rred to .asto avold the object-immanensp lea Figs. 1 and 3.

tioned and as to permit of the use of slack adjusting devices such as are described the brake shoes being actuated, in this construction, through the medium of brake beams. Fig. 2 is a partial top View of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view simi- :lar toFig; l, but illustrating the application toftheinvention to a beamless brake rig :.-ging. Fig.,4 is a detail view of the yoke interposed between'the release spring and the extensible bottom rod. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views of the slack adjusting device employed in the construction shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are detail views of-the friction coupling between the members of the adjusting bar.

.-In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the

-wheels-a, axles a and bolster I; represent so amuohv of an ordinary railway car truck as is necessary to enable the application of the invention to be understood. The dead lever c isshown as suspended from the bolster 6 through anadjustable fulcrum, indicated at c andxthe corresponding live lever 0? 1s shown as having connects to its upper end thebrake rod (Z which may be actuated by hand operateddevioes or fluid pressure devices,.or other operating devices of suit-' able character. The brakes e which cooperate with the wheels care shown as carried by brake beams e which are suspended from the bolster Z) by the usual links 6 in such manner that 'whenthe brakes are released they tend to swing away from the wheels.

The brake beams e are shown as connected to the live and dead levers respectively through the medium of arms 0 The live and dead levers are connected through an adjusting bar f which may be' directly mounted, at one end, upon the fulcrum pin d of the live lever cl, and, at the other end,

through the. medium of an adjustable mem-' berf', upon the fulcrum pin a of the dead lever (r, such sliding or adjustable member f having an elongated slot in which the pin 1; may play, the slot having such length ;:as I-ISIIBCESSQIY to ail'ord the predetern'nned and proper amount of clearance between the brake shoes and the wheel treads when the brakes are in full release position.

In the operation of the brake rigging, as the clearance between the brake shoes and the wheel treads increases, it is necessary that the opposite brakes shall be permitted to move farther apart, while at the same time only the necessary clearance between the brake shoes and the wheel treads is permitted. Accordingly, the adjusting bar comprises two members f and f which are formed in the member f, and ina yoke f at one end of such channel is hinged a flat, friction spring f, the normal set or bend of which isillustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 10. When the parts are assembled for operation the spring f is pressed down upon the member f and its free end is held, as bv a pin f, in a yoke f at the other end of the channel f, so that the spring bears against the member In order that. the braking force applied'to the live lever d may be transmitted to the dead lever 0, and the brakes be thereby applied equally, whether they are between the wheels or outside of the wheels of the truck, the live and dead levers are connected by a coupling rod or bar 9, such bar also serving as a fulcrum for the live lever. This coupling rod or bar, as usual in brake rigging of this character, is made extensible, comprising two relatively movable members 9 and 9 connected respectively to the live lever 03 and the dead lever 0.

. Any suitable means may be -provided for holding the two members of the coupling bar in successively extended relation. The means which are preferably employed for the purpose are shown in detail 1n Figs. 5, 6 and 7. By reference to such figures, in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the member g is tubular, whether cylindrical or otherwise is immaterial, the member 9 telescoping therein. The mem' ber g is threaded, with a thread of steep pitch, as shown clearly in Fig. 7 and is engaged by a rotatable nut 9 mounted for rotation in the tubular member 9 and held from longitudinal movement therein. The nut g is formed exteriorly with ratchet teeth '9 which are engaged byiaspring pressed pawl or dog 9 The latter isprovidedwith an eye g which is extended outwardlythrough the casing of the chamber which receives the nut and is connected with rock-shaft 1 which is ext ndfld to the sides of the truck in convenient position so that the pawl or dog ma be, disengaged from 8 but without requiring the brakeman to go under the car for the purpose. The pitch of the threaded portion of the member g is so steep that as the brakes are moved farther apart to compensate for wear on the brake shoes, the nut g is rotated by the straight pull on the member g, the ratchet teeth slipping under the spring pawl, whereby the two members are permltted to be relatively extended. The pawl or dog g however, normally prevents rotation of the nut in the opposite direction and therefore retains the two members in their extended relation. Whenever it is desired to permit thebrakes to move closer together, as for the substitution of new brake shoes, the pawl or dog g is disengaged from the ratchet teeth by the rockshaft g so that, the nut may rotate when pressure is applied to the end of the member 9 and the member 9' is pushed into the member 9 shortening the coupling rod to the desired extent.

. The release spring It is appliedas a coil spring to the adjusting bar or rod f; At one end itbears against the collar on the rod as an abutment. The tension of the spring is exerted in the opposite direction upon the live lever through an abutment which is connected to the live lever at some distance from the pin (P. In the constructi on shown the other end of the spring bears against a yoke a which embraces loosely the rod f and is swiveled upon the membepp of the coupling bar g. The yoke may thus adapt itself to different relative positions of the rods f and 9' without danger of breakage. It will now be seen that when braking power is applied to the upper end of the live lever d," when the parts are arranged as shown in the drawings, the corresponding brake e and fulcrum pin 01 are moved to the left in Fig. 1 while the lower end of the brake lever and the fulcrum pin d are moved to the right. The movement of the fulcrum pin 03 to the left carries with it the bar f and causes the collar f thereon to bear against the right hand end of the spring It tending to compress the same. The movement of the lower end of the live lever and the fulcrum pin d to the right carries the movable rod g to the right, causing the yoke 71' to bear against the left hand end of the spring in and tending to compress the same. The release spring h is, therefore, compressed or placed under tension by the movement of the parts in the application of the brakes; If there is no false or lost motion between the brake shoes and the wheels, the release sprin obviously will be compressed to a pre etermined amount or ,put

under a'given tension at every operation of the brakes, and Whenftlie brake actuating mechanism is released" the tension thus given, to the release spring will. react. Having.-

will blow; o

for one abutment nega ivel stationary;

collar i on the rod 7", thespring will have no effect upon the friction clutch, and having for its other abutment the yoke i wh ch is carried by the member 9 of the couphng bar g, connected to the lower end of the live lever 03 at suchlower end of the l1ve lever 12, being relatively movable, Wlll be moved to the left by the reaction of the release spring. The live lever will thus be rocked on the pin (Z as a fulcrum, 1ts upper end being moved to the right into its full release position against the bolster b. The links 6 by which the brake beams and brakes are suspended from the bolster being 111- clined as -shown,'the. action of gravity on the brake beams and brake shoes will cause them" to swing away from the wheels, the parts accommodating themselves to this movement. It will be understood, of course, that through the coupling rod 9 the dead -lever 0 moves with the live lever 05 and eventually the brake shoes connected with both live and dead levers come to rest at substantially equaldistances from the corresponding Wheels.

It has been assumed above. that there is no false or'lost motionbetween the brake shoeand the wheels, but as Wear takes lace between the brake shoes and the wheels, so

that the brakes are more widely separately, the rod f slips in the friction clutch mem-.

her 1, carrying with it the relatively stationary abutment f of the spring It, so that the actit n of the release spring is not interferedwith; and at the same time the'members g and g of the coupling bar 9 are relatively extended, the nut 9 being allowed to rotate in the properv direction to permitsuch extension to take place, while the extended relation is automatically maintained by the engagement of the pawl or dog 9 with the ratchet teeth on the nut g to prevent the rotation of the nut in the opposite direction.

The relation of the spring to the live lever 0Z is not changed and its reaction against the lower end of the live lever, through the yoke z' androd 9', will therefore be the same in all, successive operations. whenever it is necessary to replacenew and thicker brake shoes for those which have been worn down thin, the coupling rod 9 is permitted to be shortened by simply-disengaging the pawl or dog. 9 from the ratchet teeth on the nut. It will be understood, of course, that under all conditions of operation the lost motion between the dead level 0 and the friction clutch member f permits the brake shoes to have the proper clearance from thewheel treads when the brakes are released.

In Fig 3 of the drawings the invention is shown as'applied to abeamless brake rigging in which the beams e and links 0 of the construction shown in Fig. 1 are dispensed'with, and the brakes e are hung distraction not only doesithe'release spring At the same timerectly upon the live and dead levers d and 0 through the fulcrum-pins Q3 and c srespectively. The adjusting-rod f, f, the coupling rod g, the release spring handthe yoke 71 cooperate with one anotherin'the same manner as already described with reference to the construction shown in-Figz. 1 and no further explanation is necessary.

It will be-seen that int-heimproved con perform its function properly without op-v posing the braking power I and. therefore reducing its efiiciency, but that there is'ino tendency in the construction tozt-wist the brake rigging or to cause the brake shoes to drag againstthe wheel treads. {Moreover, there is less liability to.troubleby reason of lack of uniformity in sprii-igs which are applied as heretofore.

It will be understood that any suitable form of take-up or-slack adjusting' devices may be employed, althoughthat shown and described herein is preferred on account of its simplicity,-directness-and certainty of operation andnbecause it can be 'released to permit the substitution of new brake shoes without requiring -the"'brakemen to crawl under the car. Various other changes in details of construction and arrangememz may be 'made to suit difi'erent conditions of use.

I claim as my invention: 1

1. In a brake rigging, the combination of a live lever, a dead lever, an automatically extensible adjustable coupling barconnecting said levers and an adjusting bar connecting said levers, said adjusting bar comprising two relatively movable members having frictional engagement with each other. a

2. In a brake rigging, the combination of a live lever, a dead lever,.an adjustable coupling bar connecting said leversand an I adjusting bar connecting said levers, said 1 sponding lever with freedom for; lost motion.

i. In a brake rigging, the combination of a live lever,ua dead'lever, an adjusting bar connecting said levers, a coupling bar con necting said levers, a release spring, an

abutment on the adjusting bar for one end spring.

- 5. n a brake rigging, the'combmation of the brake fulcra,

, necting said levers,

' 4 a live lever, a dead lever, brakes connected with the levers respectively, an adjusting thereon, and a second abutment for said coupling bar and forming an abutment for spring acting between an abutment on the said levers of said spring, and an abutment connected to the live lever for the other end of said a live lever, a dead lever, brakes connected with the levers respectively, an ad'usting bar connecting said levers in the p ane of a coupling bar connecting said levers, a release spring, an abutment on the adjusting bar for one end of said spring and an abutment connected to the live lever for the other end of said spring.

6. In a brake rigging, the combination of a live lever, a' dead lever, an adjusting bar connecting said levers, a coupling bar conand a release s ring acting betweenan abutment on the adjust- {)ng' bar and an abutment on the coupling 7. In a brake rigging, the'combination of bar connecting said levers in the plane of the brake fulcra, a couplin bar connectlng said levers at their free en s, and a release adjusting bar and an abutment on the coupling bar.

8, In a brakerigging, the combination of a live lever, a lever, brakes connected with said levers-respectively, an adjusting bar connecting; said levers in the plane of the brake fulcra, a coupling bar connecting said levers at their free ends, a coil release spring mounted on the adjusting bar and bearing against a relativelyfixed abutment sprin mounted on the'coupling bar.

9. n abrake rigging, the combination of a live lever, a dead lever, brakes connected with said levers respectively, an adjusting bar connecting said levers in the plane of the brake fulcra, alcoupling bar connecting at their free ends, a coil release spring mounted on the adjusting. bar and bearing against a relativelyfixed abutment thereomand 'a yoke mounted loosely on the the other end of the release spring.

' 10. In a brake rig ing, the combination of a live lever, a dead ever, brakes connected bar connecting said levers in the plane of the brake fulcra and comprising two relatively movable members, a release springhaving an abutment on one of said relatively movable members and a coupling bar connecting ends and carrying an said levers at their free abutment for the other end of said spring.

- 11. In a. brake ri ging, the combination of a live lever, a ead lever, brakes connected with said levers respectively, an adjusting bar connecting said levers in the plane of thebrake fulcra, an adjustable coupling bar connecting said levers'at their free ends and comprising two relatively movable members and a release spring hav ing one abutment on the adjusting bar and the other abutment onone of the members of the coupling bar.

12. In a brake rigging, the combination of a live lever, a dead lever, brakes connected with said levers respectively, an adjusting bar connecting said levers in the plane of the brake "fulcra and comprising two relatively movable members having frictional engagement with each other, an adjustable coupling bar connecting said levers at their free ends and comprising two relatively movable members and a release spring having one abutment on one of the members of the adjusting bar and the other abutment on oneof theimembers of thecoupling bar.

13. Inja brake rigging, the combination with a truck, a llve' lever and a dead lever, of acoupling bar connecting said levers and comprislntgv two telescoping members, devices to retain said telescoping members in successively extended relation and means extended to the side of the truck to release said devices.

14. I11 a brake rigging, the combination with a truck, a live lever and a dead lever, of'a coupling bar connecting said levers and comprislng two telescoping members, one of said members being screw threaded, a freely rotatable nut carried by the other of said members, devices to prevent rotation of the nut in one direction, and means extended to the side of the truck to release said devices.

15. In a brake rigging, the combination with a truck, a live lever and a dead lever, of a con ling bar connecting said levers and comprising'two telescoping members, oneof said members bein screw threaded, a freely rotatable nut carried by the other of said members, a spring-pressed pawl or dog engaging said nut to prevent rotation thereof 111 one direction and means extended to the side of the truck to disengage said pawl or dog from said nut.

This specification signed and witnessed this first day of October A. D. 1909.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

\Vitnesses:

AMBROSE L. OSHEA, ELLA J. Kansas, 

